


Green Room

by awgaskarth0805



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-14 23:33:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20609165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awgaskarth0805/pseuds/awgaskarth0805
Summary: Alex gets the flu the day they're set to record a Green Room Session.





	1. Chapter 1

Alex loved to tour. He loved to travel, explore new places, and make new memories with his best friends. The only bad thing about tour is being exposed to lots of bad germs, and occasionally the workload. It was late August, and All Time Low had two more shows of the first leg of the Summer Ever After tour. They were set to record a new Green Room acoustic session, and it was Life of the Party this week.  
When Alex woke up that day, it was already about two in the afternoon, which was late for him. His whole body felt terrible. His muscles ached, his head hurt, he was freezing and too hot at the same time, his stomach was killing him, and his throat hurt quite a bit. Alex groaned as he got up, knowing he had no choice. They had stuff to do as a band, which meant that he had to just push through it all. He got out of his bunk and was immediately hit with a dizzy spell. After regaining his balance, he took a deep breath and walked out to the front of the bus.  
“Damn Alex, it’s after two. I know you sleep in, but this is late for you!” Rian exclaimed.  
“I feel like shit,” Alex replied, coughing into his arm.  
“That doesn’t sound good,” Zack stated. It was never good for any of them to be sick, but it was especially bad when Alex was under the weather.  
“I guess we’re not doing that Green Room session today,” Rian stated.  
“No, I don’t want to not do it, this is supposed to be our best yet. If we don’t do it today, we won’t have another video up until the second leg,” Alex replied.  
“Alex, you sound really bad, are you sure you really want to make yourself do that?” Jack asked. Jack and Alex were the closest in the band, and whenever one of them wasn’t feeling well, the other tended to get a bit overprotective.  
“I’ll be okay. We only have that and two more shows until we have a whole month off,” Alex replied with a sneeze.  
“Okay, well sit down, and we can get some medicine for you and take your temperature and shit,” Jack instructed. Alex took Jack’s place on the couch as his friend got what he’d need.  
“What symptoms are you having, dude? Then I’ll know what to give you,” Jack explained.  
“Head, throat, body, and I’m freezing,” Alex replied, breaking into another coughing fit.  
“It sounds like you have the flu,” Rian stated.  
“It feels like it, too,” Alex replied.  
“Let’s take your temperature, then you can take all of this,” Jack said, giving Alex the thermometer. Once it beeped, Jack took it, and looked concerned because of the number.  
“102.1, you must feel pretty terrible,” Jack said, feeling bad for his friend.  
“Yeah, I do,” Alex replied, taking the medicine.  
“It’s good there’s only two more days of shows left for a while, it’s definitely worse when you get sick in the middle of tour. You don’t have adequate rest time, so it takes you a lot longer to get better,” Zack stated.  
“Yeah, that’s true. I love tour, but I can’t wait for this leg to be over, so I can just focus on getting better,” Alex replied, blowing his nose.  
“We’re going to be at the venue in a couple of hours, why don’t you rest up here so we can help you if you need something? We’re talking about leg two, but we can keep it down for you,” Jack suggested.  
“I want to talk about leg two stuff with you guys,” Alex replied.  
“Alex, you need to rest. This won’t be the only time we talk about it, we’re not really having a formal conversation about it right now, anyway,” Rian replied. Jack got Alex’s pillow and blanket from his bunk, and helped Alex get set up on the couch. After what felt like forever, he found a comfortable position and fell asleep. \---------  
Over the course of the next two hours, Alex slept a lot. Once he woke up, it was just about time for them to soundcheck. The four of them walked from the bus into the venue when Rian went over to Alex.  
“Alex, are you sure that you want to do the Green Room video today?” Rian asked, for what felt like the millionth time.  
“Yes, I’m sure. If we don’t do this today, we won’t have a new one up for like a month. We scheduled this in advance, and I’m not letting me be the reason we have to fall through,” Alex replied.  
“Okay, well I guess we should get that done, then,” Jack suggested. The four of them made their way to the green room. They decided that Alex would get some rest after they filmed it to help him out for the show later. The four of them took their spots on the couch while the person filming them got herself set up, as well.  
“Start whenever you’re all ready,” she instructed them. Rian counted them off, then they started into the song. They could tell Alex’s voice wasn’t at it’s healthiest, but it wasn’t as bad as they were expecting. They got up to the bridge and in one of the instrumental parts, Alex broke into a coughing fit.  
“Are you okay, Alex?” Jack quickly asked.  
“I’m sorry guys,” Alex said, once the fit went away.  
“It’s okay Alex, we can just try again, if you’re up for it,” Zack said.  
“Let’s try again,” Alex decided. He cleared his throat and they started again. Luckily, they were able to get through the entire song this time. Everyone could tell that singing was hurting Alex’s throat quite a bit, but they also knew that when he was determined to do something, nothing would stop him or change his mind.  
“That definitely went a lot better. Alex, do you want to rest in here until the show? We can give you some space or stay in here with you, whatever you want,” Jack suggested.  
“Could you guys maybe stay in here until I fall asleep?” Alex asked. He hated being alone when he wasn’t feeling well, it must made him feel worse somehow.  
“Of course we can,” Rian replied. Alex laid down on the sofa, and Jack gave him a pillow and blanket.  
“Are you comfortable?” Jack asked.  
“As much as I can be. Thanks, you guys, for the concern and for helping me,” Alex said, making his bandmates smile.  
“No problem. Let’s see if your fever went up, and we’ll get you some medicine,” Jack explained.  
“It'll taste bad, though,” Alex replied in a small voice.  
“I know, but you need to have it. That along with some rest will help you immensely for tonight,” Zack explained as Jack took Alex’s temperature.  
“102.3, Alex, that’s a little higher than last time. I wish we didn’t have a show tonight, because you really need to rest,” Jack said.  
“There’s only two more shows for a while, then I’ll have plenty of time to rest and rec- “Alex cut himself off by breaking into another coughing fit. Jack rubbed his back until it finally went away.  
“That hurt a lot,” Alex said, holding his throat.  
“Why don’t you go on vocal rest until the show,” Rian suggested. Alex just gave a thumbs up in reply. The other three could tell how badly Alex was feeling from this, he normally resisted vocal rest to some degree when told to go on it. His compliance made his bandmates’ concern for him grow stronger. Alex closed his eyes and fell asleep within minutes.  
\----------------  
“Hey Alex, wake up,” Jack said, shaking Alex gently.  
“What do you want?” Alex asked, rolling over and pulling his blanket on him tighter.  
“We have to go on in ten minutes,” Jack replied, helping Alex sit up. Alex let out a loud cough.  
“I hate this so much,” Alex complained. Jack felt bad for his friend, he wished he could just magically make him better.  
“I know, man. We made the set eleven songs while you were asleep. I know you probably don’t want to cut the set, but we have another show tomorrow, and two full sets would probably be too much,” Jack explained.  
“No arguments there, I feel too terrible right now. I wish I could give the fans what they should be getting, but I really don’t think I can right now,” Alex stated.  
“I know. Let’s get you ready, then we have to walk over to the stage,” Jack instructed. Alex gave Jack a thumbs up as Jack gave him some more medicine, that he hoped would stay down. Jack helped Alex clean up a bit so he wouldn’t look as bad as he felt. When they got to where the stage was, Rian and Zack were already over there, getting ready to go on.  
“How’re you feeling, Alex?” Rian asked.  
“Pretty terrible,” Alex replied with a sneeze.  
“Don’t worry, it’ll be a shorter set, so hopefully it won’t be as bad,” Zack added. Alex just nodded, not wanting to waste his voice. They ran onstage and took their places, and immediately started playing Weightless. After a couple of songs, Jack went to the mic.  
“How’s everyone doing tonight?” he asked, getting cheers in response.  
“That’s good. We’ve got something to tell you guys. Our show is going to be a bit shorter tonight, because my best friend, Alex, is really under the weather right now. Like, the fact he’s even out here at all is pretty amazing. We’ll come back and make tonight up to you guys as soon as we can, but we have to get Alex back to being healthy,” Jack explained. The crowd started chanting for him to feel better, and Alex mumbled a quick thank you into the mic. There wasn’t much banter for the rest of the show, which Alex hated. He hated that he couldn’t give the fans a true All Time Low concert experience, partly due to the short set, and the lack of energy he had. He knew he was unwell, and this was all because of that, but he was still upset with himself.  
As soon as she show ended, Alex bolted offstage in frustration. He snuck onto the bus before his bandmates could see where he’d gone. He sat in the back lounge and got under a blanket, since his chills were starting to come back. He started to cry some out of frustration. He knew that he couldn’t help getting sick, but he was still upset about it. Although he knew he was giving all of this too much thought, he couldn’t help it. He felt terrible physically, which was leading him to feel bad emotionally, too. A couple minutes later, Jack came onto the bus and found Alex crying in the back lounge.  
“Holy shit, Alex, what’s wrong?” Jack asked, sitting next to his best friend.  
“I’m really frustrated,” Alex replied, his tears picking up a little more. His breath started to hitch from it, and Jack knew that this wasn’t good.  
“Alex, I need you to breathe, okay? If you keep doing this, you’re going to- “Jack was cut off by Alex putting a hand to his mouth. Jack quickly handed him the plastic wastebasket, and Alex got sick into it. Jack rubbed his back until he was done.  
“Alex, take deep breaths, and please talk to me. It’s all okay, I promise,” Jack said, moving the wastebasket. Alex took a deep breath before speaking.  
“I hate being sick. I hate feeling this terrible. I hate letting people down. I hate it all so much,” Alex replied.  
“Alex, everyone gets sick sometimes, the fans understand that. No one is mad that we cut the set tonight, everyone understands why we had to. If someone is actually angry, they’re probably not a real fan. I know you hate this, it honestly does suck, but it’s temporary. When leg two starts, you’ll be just fine. I know this isn’t a fun way to end the first leg, but this time tomorrow, you can rest and recover for as long as you need to,” Jack explained, making Alex smile a bit.  
“I know, I was just thinking about all of it too much. It’s frustrating, but I know that it’s only temporary. Thanks, Jack,” Alex replied, before they gave each other a quick hug.  
“Why don’t we set up a movie? I’ll watch it with you until you fall asleep, then I’ll stay out here with you during the night for if you need something,” Jack suggested.  
“Are you sure you really want to do that?” Alex asked, coughing again.  
“Of course. Put on a movie, and I’ll grab my stuff and yours,” Jack said getting up. Alex put on the first Hangover movie and tried to get comfortable. Jack came back out and turned out the light. He turned out the light and helped both of them get situated. Once they were set, they started the movie. About forty minutes into the movie, Alex was asleep. Jack looked at him sympathetically before falling asleep as well.


	2. Chapter 2

When Alex woke up the next morning, he felt worse than he had the day before. His head was pounding with what felt like a migraine. Jack was no longer next to him, so Alex figured that it was later in the day. He checked his phone and saw that it was already one-thirty in the afternoon. He didn’t want to be by himself, so he forced himself up, and walked to the front of the bus. His band members were all already up there, talking about the show they had that night.  
“Hey Alex, how’re you feeling?” Rian asked, cutting off the conversation.  
“I feel worse than yesterday,” Alex replied.  
“Why don’t you spend the day in bed? We can take your temperature first, then I'll spend a bit of time with you there for now.” Jack suggested. “Are you sure you want to spend your time doing that?” Alex asked.  
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Jack asked back. Alex just shrugged his shoulders then took his temperature.  
“102.1, about the same as yesterday. That’s pretty high, I’m glad this is the last show, so you can really put yourself first after,” Jack said. Alex just nodded, then the two of them went to Alex’s bunk. Alex got in bed, and Jack sat next to him on the floor, since Alex’s bed was on the bottom row.  
“You seem really down. I know you hate feeling bad, but let’s talk about it. Bottling up everything is just going to be worse for you, and I know you know that,” Jack stated.  
“I hate this. My job is performing, and it’s so much harder to do when I feel like shit so much. Like, I feel like this happens to me so much. And, you guys, especially you, spend so much of your time and energy trying to help me,” Alex explained, coughing.  
“Alex, I’ve never had a problem being with you when you’re not feeling great. Being sick sucks, and I don’t want you to deal with it yourself. You always spend time with me, trying to help me when I don’t feel great. Rian and Zack care a lot, too, but I usually help you, because you’re my best friend. I feel closest to you, you’re my brother dude. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what,” Jack explained.  
“You’re a really good friend. Thank you, Jack,” Alex replied.  
“You are too, man. Never feel bad about how much time I spend with you when you’re sick, it’s always by choice. I always just want to help you feel a bit better,” Jack said, making Alex smile.  
“You’re the best, Jack,” Alex said with a sneeze.  
“Why don’t you go to sleep, and we’ll wake you up at the venue. Rest up dude, your body needs it,” Jack suggested.  
“Okay, I will. Thank you again, Jack. You always know the right thing to say,” Alex replied.  
“You’re always welcome, man. If you need me, text me or come get me. I’m going to go back out there and talk with Zack and Rian,” Jack said, getting up to go. Alex knew that he was lucky to have Jack as his best friend. He could be silly, but he was serious when it was called for, and was a great support system, no matter what it was for. For the first time since Alex got sick, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.  
\----------  
The next time Alex woke up, it was almost five, which meant they would be at the venue soon. He felt slightly better, making him happy. He got up and walked to the front where his bandmates were all sitting.  
“Hey, how’re you feeling?” Zack asked.  
“Slightly better than earlier, but not great still,” Alex replied. His voice was a bit hoarse, and his throat hurt some, too.  
“Well, any improvement is good,” Rian added.  
“We’ll be at the venue in about ten minutes. If you want, we can all chill in the green room until the show starts,” Jack suggested. Alex knew Jack offered this to help him some. He appreciated this but decided against it.  
“Why don’t you guys go do something more fun than hang with your sick friend. Give yourselves a bit of a break, I’ll be okay,” Alex said, coughing some.  
“Are you sure?” Jack asked.  
“Yeah, I am. Do something that you guys actually want to do. You guys have helped me a lot these past couple days, so please, do something I wish I could do,” Alex said, laughing some.  
“Okay, if you’re sure,” Jack replied.  
“Why don’t we go out for the first hour, then we’ll be with Alex for the rest of the time until we go on?” Rian suggested.  
“I like that,” Zack said.  
“That sounds good, now you guys go have some fun,” Alex replied with a small smile.  
“Looks like we’re here,” Zack said, looking out the window. The four of them got off of the bus. The three of them all went into the town, and Alex went to the green room. He found a blanket, then set himself up on the couch. He still had chills, but the blanket was making it a bit better. Alex mostly just watched videos while he was alone. He was glad that his band could go do something fun finally. When the rest of the band got back, they sat in the green room with Alex.  
“How’re you feeling, dude?” Jack asked.  
“Still not great, to be honest. What did you guys do?” Alex replied.  
“We just went to get dinner at a restaurant near here,” Zack replied.  
“Have you checked your temperature lately?” Jack asked, assuming his overprotective role.  
“No, I haven’t since this morning,” Alex said. Jack got up and got a thermometer out of the first aid kit that was in the venue.  
“101.4, that’s like a whole degree lower than it was this morning!” Jack exclaimed, making Alex smile.  
“Thank god, I can’t wait until this is gone. I wish I could do a whole set, it really feels like I’m cheating the fans,” Alex said, sounding guilty.  
“Alex, no need to feel bad, you know that,” Rian said. The three of them put away their phones and gave Alex their undivided attention.  
“Remember what we talked about last night? The fans understand that health is the top priority. Don’t feel bad, man,” Jack said.  
“I know, it’s just a lingering feeling that I can’t get to go away,” Alex replied.  
“We know. There’s still plenty of shows left, but you’ll be just fine for those. Just get through tonight, and it’ll all be worth it by our next show,” Zack added.  
“I know, thanks for listening, guys,” Alex said.  
“No problem. Why don’t you sleep some and we’ll wake you up before we go on,” Jack suggested.  
“Sounds good, thanks guys,” Alex said, smiling at his band. He got comfortable and fell asleep.  
\-----------  
Alex felt pretty bad throughout the whole show, but he still got through it. His stomach twisted and his body ached some, but he made it. Right after the show ended, they all went right to the bus.  
“Alex, are you ready to relax and focus on getting well again?” Jack asked.  
“Yeah, I feel pretty shitty right now,” Alex replied, coughing.  
“Why don’t we all change, then we can all watch a movie in the back?” Rian suggested. Everyone said yes, then went to change. Once they were all ready, they went to the lounge with blankets and pillows. Alex sat between Jack and Rian, leaving Zack on the outside.  
“I’m glad we’re sitting like this, I’m fucking freezing. I think the show made me feel a bit worse again,” Alex said.  
“We’ll do our best to keep you warm,” Rian said, making Alex smile.  
“I’m just glad that we’re done touring for a bit. You can finally rest and get better. In like a week, we’ll all be doing shit together like usual, and getting ready for leg two,” Jack added.  
“You’re right, man. I just want this to go away, I hate being this sick,” Alex stated.  
“You do always seem to get really sick when you do. Like, never just a head cold, it’s always more than that,” Rian observed.  
“We’ll be back in Baltimore around two tomorrow, and we’ll make sure we take you home first,” Rian explained.  
“That sounds good. I usually wouldn’t give a shit, but I’d love to be home in my own bed.  
“Let’s pick a movie,” Zack suggested. After looking through Netflix for a bit, they decided on Shrek. Twenty minutes into the movie, Alex was fast asleep. Once the movie ended, the other three fell asleep out there with him.  
\---------  
The next day, Alex finally got to go back home. Jack decided to go with him and help him out some until he was doing better. Alex felt so lucky to have such a great best friend. After a week, Alex was back on his feet, feeling just fine. Until they went back out on tour, Alex spent time with his friends and family. When the second leg started, Alex couldn’t have been more excited to go back to work. He felt so lucky to have friends that would always be there for him, and fans that gave him a reason to get up and do what he loved every day. He knew that no matter what, between his band and his fans, he had the best support system there was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn't planning on posting this second part until tomorrow afternoon or evening, but I impulse decided to post it tonight! I realized I had quite a few school commitments for tomorrow, so I decided to edit this tonight and get it up! I hope you all enjoyed this story, it's officially completed! A brand new one will be up soon, I have about seven that are written, I just have to type and edit them! I hope you enjoyed this story, and send requests if you have them! Lots of love, Liv

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So, I wrote this story originally about a year ago, and decided to publish it. When I started it, it was only going to be them in the GR, but then I kept going, and it turned into a 4,000 word story. This is a two part story, and the second part will most likely be up tomorrow at some point. I've been having so many ideas for stories, and have spent a lot of time writing lately, so uploads should be consistent for a while! I hope you all liked this, and are excited for part 2! Send requests if you have them! Lots of love, Liv.


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